A Lunch Date for Prince William's Stepmother and Fiancee
LONDON, Feb. 10, 2011— -- A pair of queens (in waiting) go to lunch. It sounds like the opener for a bad joke, but it's exactly what Camilla and Kate did Wednesday.
Prince William's fiancee and stepmother, Kate Middleton and the duchess of Cornwall, shared an intimate meal at Koffman's, a new restaurant at the Berkeley Hotel in the Knightsbridge section of London.
The two were joined by Kate's younger sister, Pippa, and Camilla's daughter, Laura Lopes.
Three Michelin-starred chef Pierre Koffman opened Koffman's in 2010.
The group shared a 2½-hour lunch at this "smart" restaurant, and reportedly ordered chipolatas, sausages on sticks and mini pizzas.
As for the chitter-chatter, you can bet your bottom dollar they talked about weddings and life as a royal.
Camilla reportedly held court, passing on her wisdom to young Kate.
Camilla knows the score. She and Charles were an item before Diana was even on the scene. They finally wed in 2005, eight year's after Diana's death.
A fellow diner told The Daily Mail that she heard Camilla say,"If I can give you one piece of advice ..."
Royal writer and Daily Mail reporter, Katie Nicholl appeared on "Good Morning America" this morning: "You do wish they'd been listening a little harder to actually find out what Camilla was saying," Nicholl said.
The mystery diner also overheard talk of trumpets: "We can't have trumpets. The ceiling is too high," said someone at the table.
Presumably, they were talking about the high celing at Westminster Abbey, where Kate will wed Prince William April 29.
"There are a lot of decisions still to be made," Nicholl told "GMA." "Invitations go out next week, I'm told."
This was what's called a statement lunch. The group could easily have eaten in the privacy of Clarence House, but they chose to lunch in public, unfazed by a photographer.
The message Kate and Camilla want to send? We're friends.
"For many years, Camilla has been grooming Kate," said Nicholl. "She is in a great position to, possibly the best position, to give Kate advice on how to make it work."
Kate wore an understated and traditional-looking dress, coupled with a clean-cut brown jacket.
Camilla, as usual, wore tweed. One thing that's certain, said ABC's Nick Watt, is that they weren't sending out fashion tips.
Kate is about to marry into the family that many in the U.K. call "the firm." While certainly a daunting prospect, it's a lot less so with your step-mother-in-law at your side.
